1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improved data processing system, and in particular to a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing windows in a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing the movement of windows between a background mode and a foreground mode.
2. Description of Related Art
Instant messaging is an online chat medium, allowing users to communicate with each other and collaborate in real-time over a network data processing system. Instant messaging is commonly used over the Internet. Instant messaging applications monitor and report the status of users that have established each other as online contacts. This information is typically presented to a user in a window. Instant messaging applications also are often used by users conducting business. By utilizing instant messaging, business users can view each other's availability and initiate a text conversation with colleagues or customers when a desired contact becomes available.
Typically, with instant messaging applications, communications between users are initiated by users selecting the name of the person with which they desire to communicate. Then, the users type messages in the dialog box and press “send”. These messages appear instantly on the other selected recipient's computer.
Until now, instant messaging has been developed largely for home users, but used by home and business users alike. Instant messaging allows an organization to deploy and utilize this “need-to-have” technology in a business setting.
Although instant messaging is a useful tool, having windows pop up with messages while a user is working on other documents can be distracting and frustrating. For example, if a user is typing in a document using a word processor application and an instant message is received, a pop-up window changes the focus of the desktop. In other words, the word processing document moves from the foreground to the background, while the pop-up window moves to the foreground. If the user is typing information, this input is often redirected into the pop-up window, rather than the document. Currently, a user may set a “do not disturb” or “away” preference to avoid this type of distraction. This mechanism, however, requires user interaction to activate.
Further, such a change in focus also may occur for different pop-up windows representing different contacts in the instant messaging application. As a result, the user may type an incorrect message and send it to an unintended contact. The use of a “do not disturb” or “away” preference is ineffective because once the user begins sending a message to a contact, this status is changed and no longer prevents pop-up windows from being presented in the foreground. A change in focus also may occur with respect to other windowing applications. Thus, the change in focus may occur for any application that pushes a window to the foreground. As a result, similar problems may result from other windowing applications in addition to instant messaging applications.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for managing windows, such as pop-up windows, in a data processing system.